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I have just learned that Sydney Anglo, author of ‘Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe’, died a week ago at the grand old age of 93. He was a wonderful man, who laid many of the foundations for the serious academic study of European historical combat - a study that is now so ably continued by the very best of the HEMA community. However, it is important not to forget the pioneers who blazed the trail.Although to some extent building on work by Egerton Castle and subsequently Arthur Wise, Sydney’s work was entirely original. He unearthed many manuscripts that others before him had missed. His approach to the study of historical combat techniques was rooted in solid academic rigour but delivered with a relatable style, always with the hint of a twinkle. He was dashing with an old-school, scholarly, dandyish flair. To outward appearances he was an extremely distinguished and cultivated gentlemen but once you got to know him he was an enormously warm, charming and kindly human, with a wry sense of humour. It amused him, in our private correspondences, to sign himself as ‘Basher Anglo’.I was fortunate enough to meet him on many occasions, sometimes sharing a lectern at seminars. We e-mailed and we chatted on the phone. He was never aloof, always approachable and always encouraging. When I sent him various chapters from 'Swords and Swordsmen', he gave me positive feedback. He influenced not only how I thought about the topic but also how I wished to behave as a human. Sydney had a rare gift for making those around him feel seen, valued, and capable.The photo below is of Sydney with his wife, Margaret McGowan (who pre-deceased him), on the occasion of her receiving a CBE. Interestingly she was also a formidable scholar, specializing in the history of dance, her book 'Dance in the Renaissance' is a wonderful compliment to Sidney's magnum opus. What a team! There is a very strong connection between fencing and dancing, as exemplified in the teachings of Fabritio Caroso, which are often paraphrased as "No man can be a good fencer unless he be a good dancer"Sydney Anglo leaves a wonderful legacy. It is my privilege to have known him. R.I.P. ... See MoreSee Less

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